1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image pickup device which can be wound up.
2. Description of the Related Art
Digital cameras are spreading at a remarkable pace, and film cameras for taking a picture using a silver film are less frequently used. However, high-class single-lens reflex cameras which have widely spread are film cameras, and there is strong demand for the capability of utilizing high performance optical lens systems, AF function and AE function of such cameras.
Under the circumstance, there are proposals of film cartridge type digital cameras as described in JP-A-2000-115611, JP-A-9-98326, JP-A-2000-184250, JP-A-2003-234932 and JP-A-9-68752. FIG. 7A is an external view of a cartridge type digital camera according to the related art. The camera includes a housing 103 configured by connecting a cartridge main body 101 identical in shape to a cartridge for containing a film and a plate portion 102 which simulates the shape of a film having a predetermined length pulled out from the main body 101. The camera is configured such that a CCD type or CMOS type image sensor (image pickup device) 104 fabricated on a semiconductor substrate can be mounted in the plate portion 102 and such that a processing unit for driving and controlling the image sensor 104 and processing picked-up image data can be contained along with a battery in the main body 101.
When such a film cartridge type digital camera is used, as shown in FIG. 7B, a rear cover 106 of a film camera 105 is opened, and the main body 101 is contained in a cartridge containing portion such that the image sensor 104 is located on an image forming plane of an optical lens system 107 of the film camera 105 to allow image of an object to be picked up.
The film cartridge type digital cameras according to the related art has a problem in that it can be mounted only in a film camera having a rear cover which can be opened. The reason is that the image sensor 104 is fixed in the state in which it outwardly protrudes from the cartridge main body 101 and that the camera is therefore not mountable in compact cameras or drop-in type film cameras such APS cameras.
Further, since a surface of the image sensor 104 of the film cartridge type digital camera according to the related art is exposed for a long time in a film camera, the surface may be made dirty or damaged by dust generated when a mechanical shutter is mechanically operated many times in the film camera. That is, it may become impossible to pick up a preferable image after use for a long time.